Continuous electrical outlet



y 6, 1942. N. LA JONE, SR 2,284,097

CONTINUOUS ELECTRICAL OUTLET I Filed July 20, 1939 min H JIM 7 raga.

. outlet.

Patented May 26, 1942 wrap sTA'rl-zs conrmuons ELECTRICAL OUTLET V Nicholas La Jone, Sn, Chicago, Ill. App ication July 20, 1939, Serial No. easier 1 Claim. (Cl. l73334.l)

- proved continuous electrical outlet which is easy to install and when installed afiords a current outlet at any point along its length, and which embodies novel means forpreventing accidental or unintended access to the'iive conductors therein.

Another object is to provide new and improved continuous outlet means formed of a flexible dielectric material, such as rubber, and having a pair of continuous, parallel'contact strips of U- shaped cross section. securely seated in slots which are closed by interfltting retractable body 1 portions adapted normally to seal the slots but slot are preferably angularly disposed with respect to the plane of the slot and open toward readily permit the insertion of the connector prongs.

Another object is to provide novel means'ior establishing electrical connection between. the adjacent ends oi. two outlet strips at a corner.

.Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following description and from the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic view ofa room having installed therein a continuous electrical outlet embodying the features of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view through the Y 4 body of the outlet.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a member for eileozzting a corner union between two outlet sections. 3

Fig. 4 is a view similar toFig. zshowing a prong connector operatively associated with the Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a section of contact strip. While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, I have'shown in the drawing and will herein describe in detail the preferred embodiment, but it 4 is to be understood that I do not thereby intend tolimit the invention to the specific fornr dis closed,.but intend to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within thespirit and scope of the invention as expressed in'the appended claim. ji'he form of continuous outlet,- which has been selected" ior'illustration of the invention, is shaped and dimensioned to take the placeoi the quarter-round strip that is conventionally used at the corner ofa wall and the fiber. A number of features of the illustrated construction are applicable to forms of continuous outlets other than thequarter-round shape herein shown. In its exemplary form, the outlet comprises a body I0 (Figs. 2 and 4) which is generally triangular in cross section, having angularly related flat sides H and ii for abutment respectively with an upright wall is and the floor l4 and a ioothly arcuate third side l5. The -.body isformed of a flexible,.yielding and resilient, dielectric material such as rubber.

Extending inwardly of the body from-the arcuate face is is a pair of longitudinal parallel slots i6, ll spaced apart the distance between the prongs l8 of a conventional connector [9 and dimensioned to receive theprongs. Each slot has a pair of longitudinally extending grooves 20 formed in approximately opposed relation in the side walls of the slots. The grooves 20 in each oi relatively thin gauge flexible and resilient metal, such as copper or copper alloy, which is a good electrical conductor. The gap between the sides of, the strip is less than the thickness of a connector prong to insure good circuit connection. Moreover, the resiliency of the rubber body acts to press thestrip sides-'towai'deach other.

It will be'noted that the contact strips are located well within the strip body. Outwardly of the strips each slot isnormally closed by an integral portion in the form of a rib 23 (Fig. 2) preferably arranged to seat in an opposing recess 24 of complementary shape. As shown, the ribs and recesses are V-shaped in cross section and the ribs are formed on opposite to be seated, each between the sides oi a'contact strip. The gripping action exertedby the. contact strips, and by the resilient body acting indirectly through the contact strips,as well as by direct engagement with the prongs, firmly holds the connector in operative engagement with the outlet. a

In an installation oi the outlet, as shown in Fig. l, the outlet is secured as by screws 2! (Fig. 2) in the corner between the floor and the walls. Prong connectors at each end of a short'length of electric wiring I! may be used to connect-the contact strips in the continuous outlet with the terminals in a conventional wall outlet 2!. connection maybe more or leas -permanent and locatediiljim butofthemay positionfi v In installing the continuous outlet in a room,

This

corner unions mayconveniently be made in the following manner. The outlet section along each 1 wall 0! the room'is cut to stop short of the corner,

as shown in Fig. 1. The strips 22 being oithin gauge metal, out easily. The gap between -ad-' provided having novel ,means for sealing the access openings to the live conductors and embodyan improved relationship for mounting the contact strips in the dielectric body. The outlet may be easily installed and, due to the simplicity of its construction, may be manufactured for sale at relatively low cost.

Joining section ends at a corner maybe closed by a corner member III (Fig. 3) having a molded body shaped to correspond'to the form of the lines arranged to-extendiincontinuation oi the outlet body'and, iidesired, having ornamental g I claim as my invention: Anelectrical outlet comprising, in combination,

a body in the form 01' an elongated rubber strip having parallel slots opening in one face thereoi. electrical conductors insaid slots, and complementary interiltting ribs and grooves on 0D- lines oi the slot irmuths. The member ID has I molded therein elongated conductor bars 28 which project beyond the opposite ends oi. the member as prongs'ior'endwise insertion into the exposed posite sides of the slotsadioining the open laces of the slots arranged 'yieldingly to close said slots.

} mcnoms LA JONE, Sn. 

